Colchester, Fortress of the War God: an Archaeological Assessment

835 Pages·2013·17.41 MB·English

by  David Radford

Published by
oxbow Books, oxford, UK
© oxbow Books, english heritage and the individual authors, 2013
ISBN 978-1-84217-508-8
EPUB ISBN: 978-1-78297-075-0
PRC ISBN: 978-1-78297-076-7
Cover image: A view across the late Iron Age defences at sheepen, Colchester c AD 25
(© Peter Froste. All rights reserved, DACs 2013)
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gascoyne, Adrian.
An assessment of the archaeology of Colchester : fortress of the war god / by Adrian Gascoyne and
David radford ;
with contributions from Philip Crummy, Nina Crummy, rosalind Niblett, Dave stenning, steve
Benfield, Peter Murphy
and Andrew Phillips ; edited by Philip J. Wise.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-84217-508-8
1. Colchester (england)--Antiquities. 2. excavations (Archaeology)--england--Colchester. I.
radford, David. II. Wise,
Philip J., editor. III. title.
DA690.C7G37 2013
942.6'72301--dc23
2012044282
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Berforts Information Press ltd, eynsham, oxfordshire
It is a beautiful, populous, and pleasant place, extended on the brow of an hill
from west to east, and surrounded with walls, and adorned with fifteen
churches… In the middle of the city, stands a castle ready to drop with age…
William Camden 1586 (Britannia, 4th edn, 1772, p 356)
May I venture, Sir, to take this opportunity of calling the attention of the Town
Council of Colchester to the general state of the more important ancient remains
which render your town so attractive to the antiquary and to the historian? Some
of them, for instance, the Town Walls and the Castle, might be increased in
interest by excavations judiciously conducted. A small grant of money, placed
under the control of one or two of the many active and intelligent antiquarians of
the locality, would but be productive of discoveries, which, while they would
especially gratify the archaeologist, would doubtless be advantageous to the town
at large, and increase its prosperity.
Charles Roach Smith (Gentleman’s Magazine, January 1854, pp 70–1)
Contents
List of illustrations (figures and tables)
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Summary
Résumé
Zusammenfassung
I
NTRODUCTION
1 T C
HE HISTORY OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN OLCHESTER
The antiquarians and collectors
The excavators
The Colchester Archaeological Trust
2 G D M
EOLOGY AND THE EPOSIT ODEL
Solid Geology
Drift Geology
The Colchester Deposit Model
Introduction
Character of archaeological deposits in Colchester
Sequence and nature of the deposits
Preservation of finds
Archaeological deposits
Results of the modelling
3 P C
REHISTORIC OLCHESTER
Introduction
Past work
The finds evidence
The archaeological evidence
Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic
The Bronze Age
The early and middle Iron Age
The current state of knowledge
Preservation
Importance
Potential for future research
4 C I A , c 50 BC–AD 43
AMULODUNON IN THE LATE RON GE
Introduction and historical framework
Past work
The finds evidence
The archaeological evidence
The oppidum
The dykes
Settlement – Sheepen
Other settlement evidence
Manufacturing and trade
Agriculture and the field system
Burials and ritual structures
The current state of knowledge
Preservation
Importance
Potential for future research
5 T R , AD 43–49
HE OMAN LEGIONARY FORTRESS
Introduction and historical framework
Past work
The finds evidence
The archaeological evidence
Military structures outside the legionary fortress
Siting, preparation, laying-out and construction of the fortress
Industrial activity
Food, water supply and drainage
Disposal of the dead
Claudian occupation evidence and Iron Age continuity
The current state of knowledge
Preservation
Importance
Potential for future research
6 T AD 49–61
HE EARLY rOMAN COLONIA,
Introduction and historical framework
Past work
The finds evidence
The archaeological evidence
The creation of the colonia and its hinterland
Fortress into colonia: the revised layout
Defences
Buildings of the colonia
Manufacturing and trade
Diet
Cemeteries
Resistance to Rome – evidence for the Boudican revolt
The current state of knowledge
Preservation
Importance
Potential for future research
7 T R , AD 61–410
HE LATER OMAN TOWN
Introduction and historical framework
Past work
The archaeological evidence
Topographical organisation
Boundaries, defences and roads
Public and monumental buildings and structures
Water supply
Domestic and commercial buildings
Manufacturing and trade
Farming strategies and diet
Religious and burial practice
Extramural development
The current state of knowledge
Preservation
Importance
Potential for future research
8 E A -S C , 410–916
ARLY NGLO AXON OLCHESTER
Introduction and historical framework
Past work
The finds evidence
The archaeological evidence
Occupation
Coins
Burials
Possessions
Pottery
The current state of knowledge
Preservation
Importance
Potential for future research
9 L A -S C , 917–1066
ATE NGLO AXON OLCHESTER
Introduction and historical framework
Past work
The nature of the evidence
The finds evidence
The archaeological evidence
Town defences, street system and urban plan
Religious buildings
Secular buildings
Pottery and metalwork
Manufacturing and trade
The late Anglo-Saxon countryside
The current state of knowledge
Preservation
Importance
Potential for future research
10 E C , 1066–1348
ARLY MEDIEVAL OLCHESTER
Introduction and historical framework
Past work
The nature of the evidence
The finds evidence
The archaeological evidence
The castle
Town defences
Streets
Monastries and churches
Public buildings and works
Domestic architecture
Open space
Suburbs
The re-use of Roman materials
The Hythe, commerce, trade and manufacturing
The countryside
The current state of knowledge
Preservation
Importance
Potential for future research
Colchester medieval deposits: biological remains
11 L C , 1349–1540
ATE MEDIEVAL OLCHESTER
Introduction and historical framework
Past work
The nature of the evidence
The finds evidence
The archaeological evidence
The urban plan
Public buildings and works
The town wall, town gates and castle
Manufacturing and trade
Domestic and commercial architecture
Cellars and undercrofts
The religious foundations and charitable institutions
Churches
The countryside
The current state of knowledge
Preservation
Importance
Potential for future research
12 P C , 1540–1700
OST-MEDIEVAL OLCHESTER
Introduction and historical framework
Past work
The nature of the evidence
Summary of finds assemblages
The archaeological evidence